MAIHHS team presents on the future of hospitality at national conference
On 18 October 2023, the Missenden Abbey International Hotel and Hospitality School (MAIHHS) team participated in a national conference on Progressing Policy for Tourism, Hospitality and Events Education.
The conference brought together key national stakeholders, including representatives from higher and further education institutions, trade organisations and industry. The conference was jointly organised by the Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE), the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME) and the Association for Event Management Education (AEME), in response to current Government policy and changes that have a direct impact on the sector.
During the conference the team presented their findings from research conducted for a White Paper on the Future of Tourism, Hospitality and Events Education, funded by the ATHE, CHME and AEME. The findings outlined significant shifts in student recruitment, retention, and progression - and reflect the need for involvement, collaboration, and recognition, as the three major directions for action aimed at revolutionising Tourism, Hospitality and Events Management education and empowering the future generation of students and professionals.
Lisa Wyld, Head of School for MAIHHS, said: "Our research results emphasise the crucial role that industry should play in the enhancement and advancement of curricula, as well as the necessity for industry to establish close partnerships with Higher and Further Education institutions. This collaboration should extend to the development of successful graduate programmes, internships, and placement initiatives.
"There is a pressing need for broader recognition of the substantial contributions made by the tourism, hospitality, and events industries to the UK economy, as well as the pivotal role that educational institutions play in addressing the industry's recruitment and skills challenges. Involvement, collaboration and recognition constitute three strategic directions for catalysing a transformation in tourism, hospitality, and events management education, ultimately empowering the upcoming generation of students and professionals."
The presentation sparked constructive debate and highlighted the need for academia and industry to closely collaborate on curriculum enhancement and development as well as on developing successful graduate schemes, internships, and placement programmes.
Lisa Wyld also participated in a panel discussion on creating meaningful career paths for tourism, hospitality and events management students and graduates, as well as a series of workshops exploring innovative industry partnerships and raising the profile of tourism, hospitality and events as meaningful career choices.
A White Paper on the Future of Tourism, Hospitality and Events Education will be submitted by will be publicly available in November 2023.